Port protestors set their sights on city hall

THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and other local community organisations have sent out a call to residents to present an united front with them as they walk to the steps of City Hall on Saturday, 29 March in protest of the Durban port expansion project.

“The Durban port development plans have ignored significant social and environmental considerations in favour of the kind of neo-liberal economic policy that will not benefit these communities but rather government and corporations invested in this project,” said SDCEA co-ordinator, Desmond D’Sa.

The primary complaints of residents and organisations include increased trucking on residential roads and national roads that could lead to an increase in truck-related deaths; the transformation of Clairwood Racecourse into a logistics park; lack of access for fishermen to the beachfront and several piers, detrimenting their livelihood; the displacement of farmers working the land at the future port site; increased health risks due to the expansion of the petro-chemical industrial hub and the contribution to climate change.

The municipality and project co-ordinators, Transnet have been invited to collect the people’s memorandum at the city hall at noon. Protestors will start their walk at 8am at King Dinizulu’s Gardens (Botha’s Gardens) and make their way through the CBD to KwaPixley KaSeme Street (West Street).